PESHAWAR: As many as 17 people, including women and children, were killed and several others sustained injuries as torrential rains coupled with flash floods continued to play havoc in various parts of the country including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Six persons were killed when a mud house collapsed in Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency.It was learnt that the roof of a house in Baramukha village collapsed, leaving six persons Rafia, Madiha, Said Nazim, Bashir Ahmed, Rashid Ahmed and Mumtaz Ahmed dead while four others sustained injuries. The villagers rescued the injured and retrieved the bodies from the rubble. The torrential rains destroyed standing crops in Barang tehsil. In Mansehra, two sisters were killed in a roof collapse due to heavy rains in Balakot tehsil in the district.Heavy rains began in the afternoon and continued for many hours wreaking havoc in Balakot and Kaghan valley. Eyewitnesses said that the roof of a house collapsed in which a nine-year-old Sughra and her six-year-old sister Sidra were killed. The Balakot-Naran section of the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road remained blocked at many places due to landslides triggered by heavy rains in Balakot. In Hangu, two children were killed and five persons, including four women, sustained injuries in rain-related incidents in the district. The roof of a house collapsed in Tora Warai in Doaba in which four persons were buried alive. The villagers launched rescue activities and retrieved two bodies from the rubble. Two injured, Sajjadullah and Shahida Bibi, were rescued and shifted to a local hospital. A woman was injured when a house in Lakhtai Banda and a 12-year-old Janan Muhammad was drowned in nullah in Babul Islam Colony. Two persons Muhammad Sharif and Mustiara Bibi were injured as roof of their house caved in. In Ghallanai, a young woman was killed in a rain-related incident in Baizai subdivision in Mohmand Agency. The reports said that a mud house in Shandara village in Baizai collapsed due to rains, leaving a young woman dead. In Battagram, the monsoon rains swept away connecting bridges and roads and destroyed standing crops in the district. The locals said the rains destroyed the communication system in Allai tehsil, disconnecting most of the areas from the rest of the country. In Kalaya, the torrential rains disrupted the communication system and suspended electricity supply to most parts of Orakzai Agency. The continuous rains for the last 10 days resulted in the closure of the lone grid station in Orakzai Agency. The suspension of power supply created a water shortage in the area. In Karak, the dwellers of hilly area, Kurd Sharif and adjacent localities, were stranded as the lone link road was washed away by flash floods. The people faced shortage of food items and drinking water. In Pindigheb, two women were killed and five persons received multiple injuries when the roof of their house collapsed in village Dhaboola. The members of the family of Muhammad Ashraf were sitting in their mud house when all of a sudden the roof of their house collapsed. As a result, Safreen Bibi and Humera died on the spot while Muhammad Faizan, Eman Bibi and Riffat Bibi and others received multiple injuries. In Toba Tek Singh, a 15-year-old boy was killed and four others, including a woman and her two children, were injured. In the first incident, Naveed Hussain was electrocuted during a wedding ceremony in Dastgir Colony. In the second incident, Parveen and her two children were killed in Kamalia when the roof of their collapsed due to heavy rain. In another incident, a vehicle loaded with poultry birds turned turtle due to heavy rain near Arrouti on the Faisalabad-Multan Road. As a result, driver Abdul Qadir was seriously injured. In Okara, two minor brothers were killed while their grandfather was injured in a roof collapse at Depalpur. The family of Saeed was in the house when its roof caved in. As a result, Hamad, 6, and his brother Hamza, 4, were killed on the spot while their grandfather Afzal was injured seriously. In Hafizabad, a villager was burnt alive as he was hit by lightning at Pheroke village. Meanwhile, the Federal Flood Commission (FFC) said that River Indus was flowing with very high flood at Guddu Barrage and high flood at Sukkur and Kalabagh-Chashma reach. According to the daily FFC report, the River Indus was at medium flood stage at Taunsa and low flood at Tarbela and Kotri Barrage. River Kabul is also flowing with high flood at Nowshera and medium flood at Warsak, whereas River Swat at Charsadda Road Bridge and River Ravi at Sidhnai Barrage are flowing in low flood. Other main rivers including River Jhelum, Chenab and Sutlej are flowing normal.Owing to high to very high flood situation in River Indus at Kalabagh, Chashma, Guddu and Sukkur Barrages, the low lying and riverine areas along River Indus in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Districts Mianwali, DI Khan, Bhakkar and Layyah) and Sindh province (Districts Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Khairpur and Larkana) would be affected.
